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Why Yankees are betting Stephen Drew can play second base

Stephen Drew Yankees 2

Stephen Drew #14 of the New York Yankees throws in the out field before a game with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 1, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. Drew was recently traded to the Yankees. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

BOSTON — The Yankees are going all in on Stephen Drew at second base, even though the 31-year-old had never played the position — save for a two-month stretch as a high school sophomore — before his pinstripes debut in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Here's why, according to manager Joe Girardi and first base coach Mick Kelleher, who works with the infield.

He's done it before. Um, kind of: Girardi said Boston's use of the shift has forced Drew to make double-play turns at second base. "He's had to do it," the manager said. "I asked him. With the shifts, you know, he's capable of doing it."

He's skilled: Kelleher said Drew's natural tools — just about all of them — will help make him natural at the position. "He's got quick feet and a quick arm and he's got great instincts," the first base coach said. "You're just coming at it from a different angle."

There's "plenty of time": Sure, Drew will be learning on the job, but by the time the regular season is over, he'll have it down, Kelleher said. And that's despite the fact there are only two months left. "Oh, two months is plenty of time," Kelleher said. "He's an infielder so he'll make the adjustment pretty quickly."

He's confident: That happens when you've been a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop your entire career. So, Kelleher said, he'll let Drew do whatever makes him comfortable. "I won't say, 'This is how I did it and this is how you have to do it,'" he said. "I'll say, 'All right, you do it.' And we'll see if we can touch on refining something. He's just going to have to do it au natural."